Wire fabric.



F. P. DOOLEY.

WIRE FABRIC.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2, 1913.

Patented Dec. 16, 1913.

COLUMBIA PLANQGRAPH CO.,WASH|NGTON, u, c.

FRANK I. DOOLEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WIRE FABRIC.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedDec. 16,1913.

Application filed June 2, 1913. Serial No. 771,365.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK P. DOOLEY, citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Wire Fabric, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to metal fabrics that are of service, for example, in the construc tion of furniture and finds a useful embodiment in mattresses or mattress supports. Such fabrics are made of a plurality of adjacent rows of adjacent units formed of wire, my invention having for its general object the construction of a fabric whose units may be simply formed and easily assembled to constitute a fabric which affords a sufliciently resilient support without having the set of the fabric modified due to any elongation of the units consequent upon long usage, such unit elongation being avoided when the units are constructed in accordance with my invention.

Generally speaking my invention may be described as comprising a fabric that includes a plurality of adjacent row of adjacent units that are in the form of loops integrally formed of wire and the sides of each of which terminate in hooks which engage adjacent units in one adjacent row and which loop sides are joined at their ends opposite the hooks by a minor loop inturned toward the hooks and affording two separated bights between its sides and the sides of the larger loop, in which bights the hook ends of adjacent units in another adjacent row are received.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention the minor loop is curved, this curve being desirably outwardlv bulged wherebv the springy nature of the fabric is assured.

I will explain my invention more fully by reference to the accompanying drawing showing the preferred embodiment thereof and in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a broken away fabric; Fig. 2 is a side view of the structure of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a fabric composing unit.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the difierent figures.

Each unit is in the form of a loop whose straight sides 1 terminate each in a hook 2, the sides of each loop being joined at their ends opposite the hooks by a minor loop 3 which is inturned toward the hooks so as to lie between the loop sides 1 of the same loop whereby each major loop having the sides 1 is provided with two bights t instead of one bight, and whereby each major loop possesses suflicient resilience to enable it to become a component part of a springy fabric without the necessity of introducing curvature between the bights 4 and hooks 2, such curvature being undesirable since it is likely to straighten after long usage to change the permanent set of the fabric to cause the same to sag when free of load. The rows of adjacent units desirably extend transversely of the length of the fabric, the units at the ends of these rows being suitably attached, as for example, to side strips 5. The bights l in the units comprising each row receive the hooks 2 of the units comprising an adjacent row whereby the various rows of units are assembled to constitute the complete fabric which may be attached at its ends to rows of coil springs 6 each anchored at one end to a suitable fabric supporting frame 7 and joined at its other end with the fabric through the intermediation of a suitable link 8. At one end of the fabric the links 8 are connected with hooks 2. At the opposite end of the fabric the last row of units which are made in accordance with my invention are joined with the links 8 by links 9. Other means of mounting the fabric of course may be provided without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Owing to the presence of the inturned minor loops 3 the sides 1 joined thereby may be spread apart at their united ends when sufficient load is imposed upon the fabric whereby the fabric will yield to cushion the load. The minor spring loops 3 are sufficiently relieved of tensile strain to permit them to become restored to their normal set when the fabric is relieved of its weight. Moreover, by separating the hooks 2 of adjacent links that are connected with the bights 4 of the same link frictional engagement between such hooks is eliminated whereby the flexibility of the fabric is ma terially increased and the wear upon the moving parts is materially reduced.

It will be observed that each fabric unit in the fabric of my invention is generally of V-shape, the straight sides 1 converging from their hook ends 2 toward the minor loops 3. The minor loops 3 of the fabric units in each row are thus immediately disposed between the hook ends 2 of adjacent units in an adjacent row whereby the employment of links, which themselves afford no cushioning action, is not required for assembling fabric units into a fabric. The loop sides 1 of each unit in each row thus combine with the adjacent loop sides of ad acent units in an ad acent row that are connected with the first mentioned loop sides at hooks 2 to form figures which are substantially diamond shape, whereby series of connected portions 1 are disposed in directions that slope with respect to the sides of the fabric, there being substantially no load supporting elements such as unit connecting links or parallel loop sides which extend at right angles to any side of the fabric so that the main load supporting ridges 1 of the fabric perform their load supporting function without being prominently and uncomfortably presented to the load, a result which is enhanced, as aforesaid, by the absence of unyielding unit binding links.

While I have herein shown and particularly described the preferred embodiment of the invention I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction shown as changes may readily be made without departing from the spirit of my invention,

Having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following 1. A wire fabric including a plurality of adjacent rows of adjacent units, each unit being in the form of a V-shaped loop having straight sides, which sides terminate, where farthest apart, in hooks and which sides are joined at their ends opposite the hooks by a minor loop in-turned toward the hooks and affording two separated bights between its sides and the aforesaid sides of the larger loop, these bights formed in each fabric unit of each row being engaged by the hooks in which the adjacent sides of adjacent fabric units in an adjacent row terminate, the sides of each vfabric unit in each row forming with the adjacent sides of adjacent fabric units in an adjacent row connected therewith by the hooks of the first fabric unit figures of substantially diamond shape.

2. A wire fabric including a plurality of adjacent rows of adjacent units, each unit being in the form of a V-shaped loop having sides, which sides terminate, where farthest apart, in hooks and which sides are joined at their ends opposite the hooks by a minor loop in-turned toward the hooks and affording two separated bights between its sides and the aforesaid sides of the larger loop, these bights formed in each fabric unit of each row being engaged by the hooks in which the adjacent sides of adjacent fabric units in an adjacent row terminate the sides of each fabric unit in each row forming with the adjacent sides of adjacent fabric units in an adjacent row connected therewith by the hooks of the first fabric unit figures of substantially diamond shape.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this twentieth day of May A. D.,

FRANK P. DOOLEY. \Vitnesses:

G. L. CRAGG, ETTA L. VVHITE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. C. 

